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Masters Par 3 Contest fun for patrons, golfers

By Jeremy Timmerman

Staff photo by Jeremy Timmerman
The children and wives of South African golfers Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and George Coetzee served as the trio's caddies for Wednesday's Par 3 Contest.

AUGUSTA — Much is made of the dreaded “Par 3 Curse” surrounding the Par 3 Contest at the Masters.

Not a single golfer has won the exhibition event – played on the smaller course on the grounds at Augusta National Golf Course since 1960 – and went on to win the Masters the same year. Not Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Vijay Singh or Luke Donald, among other big names to win the contest like 1998 Masters champion Mark O'Meara.

Only Singh and Ben Crenshaw went on to win the Masters at all once they won the shorter event. Palmer, O'Meara and Snead won their eight combined green jackets before showing their short-hole prowess.

So why do so many golfers play in the event the Wednesday before the year's first major? Because it's so much fun.

“The Par 3 Contest is a good time,” said Rickie Fowler, the No. 28 golfer in the world. “A Wednesday afternoon around Augusta is pretty special.”

Fowler's afternoon was made even more special by who was holding his golf bag. One of the traditions surrounding the event is the honorary caddie, often a member of the golfer's family or a close friend. For Fowler, that was his grandmother, who hadn't been in the best of health but found a second wind for the unique opportunity.

“She did great,” Fowler said. “I think she's actually supposed to have knee surgery at some point coming up, but all of a sudden her knee felt pretty good today.”

Others, like three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, had their children help carry clubs and walk the course. Defending champion Bubba Watson was escorted by his wife, Angie, and 1-year-old son, Caleb.

As two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer and former world No. 1 Martin Kaymer left the sixth tee on the Par 3 course, 9-year-old patron Malachi Bowen of Senoia, Ga., asked Langer for an autograph. Langer obliged, but he also let Malachi come under the ropes and walk a stretch of the hole with him while he signed the boy's items.

“It was amazing,” Malachi said. “It was really cool.”

His father, Jason Bowen, said that he had been to the Masters before but never to the Wednesday exhibition.

“This is my first time to the Par 3, so this is another dream come true,” he said of the opportunity.

As for the experience of watching his son walk alongside one of the greats of the game at one of golf's most storied venues, Jason said it was “sentimental” just having his son at the course.

“So it's especially just brilliant to have my son here with me,” he said. “And that right there was just the sugar on top.”

Langer seemed to enjoy allowing Malachi, who also took a chance and came under the ropes to get an autograph from South Carolina native Dustin Johnson, to join him for a few steps.

“The Par 3 contest is just entertainment, entertaining the people, make sure the kids have a good time,” Langer said. “That's what it's all about really.”

Jeremy Timmerman has a journalism degree from Mercer University and has been at the Aiken Standard since June 2010.

Daily schedule

Augusta National: Gates open at 7:30 a.m., close 30 minutes after play

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